Caerulean Hammerhead
Caerulean hammerheads are unusually social for sharks, often seen swimming and even hunting in small groups. During the breeding season in the Callisto Islands, these sharks gather by the thousands to swim out to the seamounts further east, much to the dismay of local fishermen whom they rob along the way. Caerulean hammerheads can eat almost anything they come across, but they tend to be pickier outside of the breeding season, preferring stingrays and flounder on the seabed to free-swimming fishes. Though caerulean hammerheads do not appear to have magical abilities, their peculiar heads are loaded with sensitive nerves which can detect vibrations and signals in the water, allowing them to locate prey that is covered by sand. When hunting in groups, one shark will chase a fish into a small reef while the other sharks come upon it from the sides, trying to pin it down with their heads. No one is quite sure how such maneuvers are coordinated, for caerulean hammerheads don't make noise to communicate. Though not as dangerous as the larger species of sharks, fishermen know to treat them with respect, for a large hammerhead can easily topple a small fishing boat or tear netting to shreds in order to reach a fresh catch. At the Keep, hammerheads must be given saltwater pools, for they are sensitive to minute changes in salinity. Egg A small fin is starting to emerge from this leathery egg. Hatchling When a young caerulean hammerhead hatches from its egg, it is ready to fend for itself. Even though help isn't needed, however, you find that it is still appreciated by the tiny pup. Your hatchling is barely the length of your arm and has some difficulty catching the small flatfish in the saltwater pool where you keep it. Whenever you visit, you bring it small pieces of fish from the kitchens, which the pup devours as soon as they hit the surface. You have to be careful about where you place your fingers, for the pup can be nippy and seems not to distinguish well between tasty fish and less tasty fingers. Aside from your fingers, though, it learns to recognize you very quickly, and often swims over as soon as you appear at the bank. You are unsure of whether the hatchling has memorized your face, or if it relies on other senses to detect your presence - even at a young age, hammerheads are sensitive to the slightest vibrations in the water, and their sense of smell is legendary. You suspect that it might just be swimming over to everyone who approaches in the hope of begging for scraps. Adult Your caerulean hammerhead can only be seen in the morning light as a single triangular fin cutting through the water, the upper lobe of its tail a full horse-length behind, but when it reaches the coast of the pool where you keep it, you can see the blue-grey coloration which gives its species its name. The hammerhead sometimes tilts its head to get a better look at you, an amusing compensation for the head's peculiar shape, which bears one eye on either of the wing-like projections and must be cumbersome to move. Even though the shark can hunt for itself quite well, and with the aid of a magical salt bubble might be granted to explore other waterways - provided you are nearby - your shark still readily accepts any tidbits you throw to it. The intelligence of these sharks is widely debated, for though unpredictable and difficult to train, caerulean hammerheads are often reported to act playfully around their magi. Some of the more reckless magi may go into the water to swim alongside their sharks. Even though few magi have been injured doing so, the practice is highly discouraged for obvious reasons. Hammerheads are generally kept for tracking purposes, as even untrained sharks will seek out an object if first given something with its scent. Breeding Additional Information *No. 526 *Obtained from the Donation Shop (September/October 2014) *Released: September15th, 2014 *Sprites: Tekla *Descriptions: PKGriffin Category:2014 Creatures Category:Donation Category:Artist: Tekla Category:Sharks